Zyuganov made this statement at a CPRF briefing on the results of the State Duma elections. He said that if the course does not change and “this exhausting war” continues, “everyone will lose”.
The CPRF leader also criticized the pace of growth of the Russian economy. According to him, “the world is moving ahead at a rate of 3–4%, while we have had 1% for 15 years”, and he added that Russia “has not made its own phone in 20 years”.
Separately, Zyuganov said that over the years of the war the number of Russian oligarchs had grown from 105 to 155 people, and the funds concentrated in their hands had reached $700 billion. He said that the “oligarchy” does not want to take part in victory, pay normal taxes, and invest, and pointed out that the “borscht set” had become 40% more expensive over the year.
The day before, Zyuganov said on the program “Vesti Nedeli” on the “Rossiya 1” TV channel that there had been falsifications in the elections and the removal of CPRF observers. He claimed that preliminary polls gave the party 18–30% of the vote, whereas after 29.09% of the protocols had been processed, the CPRF was receiving 13.99%, and in Voronezh, according to him, all CPRF observers were illegally removed; he added that similar cases had occurred in other regions as well.
According to preliminary data from the CEC, “United Russia” is receiving 57.97% of the vote on party lists and is winning in 208 of 225 single-mandate districts. The party may receive a record 355 of 450 seats in the State Duma, compared with 310 in the previous convocation, the CPRF is getting 13.65%, LDPR — 8.96%, “New People” — 7.9%, “A Just Russia” — 5.13%, and voter turnout in the September 18–20 elections was 56.66%; final results are to be announced no earlier than September 25.
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